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(11) | EP 0 285 115 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Double drive bicycle |
| (57) The invention has an upper support (19) attached to the upper of the frame (11).
A hand wheel is mounted on the upper support. Handles (23) are provided which drive
the hand wheel and are manually actuatable by the driver. Gears (30) are mounted on
the upper support. A loop (29) connects the hand wheel and the gears, whereby rotation
of the hand wheel causes rotation of the gears. Locking devices are provided to detachably
lock the hand wheel to the upper support so that the handle and the loop remain in
fixed position. A gear (12b) is axially mounted on the front wheel. A chain (31) connects
the gear to the gears whereby the gears are rotatable with the handle. |
[0001] This invention relates to a velocipede and, in particular, to a velocipede wherein the driver actuates and controls the motion of the rear wheel or wheels with foot pedals but has elevated handles which drive the front wheels.
[0002] The prior art disclosed attempts to utilize hand motion to drive the front wheel of a velocipede such as a bicycle. Each example of the prior art has one or more disadvantages. The disadvantages include awkwardness, no rear drive capability, limitation of the driver's ability to alternate between hand driving of the front wheel and foot driving of the rear wheel with foot pedals, lack of simultaneous hand and foot driving, or a lack of choice of hand driving speeds. Further, existing velocipedes cannot readily be converted into the prior art, hand-drive velocipedes.
[0003] The invention provides a velocipede, such as a bicycle, having an independent hand drive for the front wheel. The invention can be used to modify an existing bicycle by providing a hand-driven, multiple speed front wheel drive which is independent of the rear drive and which can freewheel.
[0004] The invention comprises a velocipede such as a bicycle or tricycle which has a frame, a front wheel, one or two rear wheels and foot pedals for driving the rear wheels, where: (1) a wheel with a pair of handles is mounted on the upper front of the frame in place of the handlebars; (2) a variable freewheeling gear set is mounted on the upper portion of the frame; and (3) a driving gear is axially mounted on the front wheel. An endless loop such as a belt or chain connects the wheel with the variable gear set. A chain connects a selected gear of the variable gear set to the front wheel driving gear through a derailleur. Means for controlling the derailleur are mounted accessible to the hands of the driver.
[0005] The most desirable embodiments of the invention are velocipedes characterized in that they have the following elements. An upper support means is attached to the upper front of the frame. A hand wheel is mounted on the upper support means. Handle means are present which drive the hand wheel and are manually actuatable by the driver. Gear means are mounted on the upper support means. A loop connecting the hand wheel and the gear means is present, whereby rotation of the hand wheel causes rotation of the gear means. Locking means are provided to detachably lock the hand wheel to the upper support means so that the handle means and the loop remain in fixed position. A gear is axially mounted on the front wheel. A chain connects the gear to the gear means, whereby the gear is rotatable with the handle means.
[0006] The requirements for converting an existing bicycle or tricycle to the present invention comprise essentially substituting another rear wheel for the front wheel and mounting the upper handle operated wheel on a special support which is preferably adjustable so as to accommodate the driver. The support which is mounted on the front of the bicycle frame can also be the location for the separate shifting control for the front wheel and the rear wheel. The brake controls are preferably mounted on the handles of the handle-operated wheel. While a specific example of the invention is described below, it should be noted that there are many variations which are considered within the scope of this invention. Thus the multiple gears which are varied by a derailleur can be any number, as for example, three to twelve. Where a three-wheel velocipede is available, the rear drive is in between the two wheels. The shifter can be located in various positions as may be convenient for the driver or in the design of the bicycle. In place of a chain it is possible to use a belt where desirable. Also, the invention is applicable both to the bicycle which brakes upon rearward motion of the pedals, such as coaster brakes as well as those whose brakes are controlled by hand, for example, caliper brakes.
[0007] As an option the handles on the front wheel drive system can be locked in a selected fixed position. The handle grips, with brake controls attached, are preferable on a ball bearing axis so as not to entangle the brake cables while making a 360 degree rotation in powering the front wheel. A conventional bicycle rear wheel with a sprocket can be used as the front wheel drive system and will generally fit on the standard front fork socket of a present day bicycle. The sprocket is a freewheel type and thus, the driver can go through 360 degree rotation off his hands without changing the grip or taking his fingers of the brakes.
[0008] This invention is also applicable to the two different systems of changing the gear ratios on a bicycle, namely the variable gear hub such as a three speed hub, and the derailleur system. In a variable gear hub, gear changing is effected by means of a gear control chain worked by the control wire from a lever mounted on the handles and support. The chain shifts the sun wheels of the two planetary gear sets along the spindle of the hub. While it is preferred to use the derailleur system as illustrated in the specific example, the variable gear hub can also be used in its place in the front wheel drive system.
[0009] Another feature of the invention is that the gear wheel can be a standard two sprocket bicycle crank. The loop or chain runs off the large sprocket to the gear set. The small sprocket is used in junction with a bolt which locks into one of the gear teeth of the small sprocket to hold the handles in a selected position.
[0010] Another feature of this invention is that where a conventional bicycle frame is used the handlebars and stem can be removed, and the socket where the stem was previously mounted can be used to hold the upper support.
[0011] It is preferred that the handle grips on the handle arms are on ball bearings so that the brake controls can be mounted on the grips. The ballbearings permit floating of the brake cables so they are not entangled and the brake control levers are easily accessible to the fingers of the driver to permit braking at any time, a significant safety improvement over the prior art.
[0012] The handles can be selectively positioned so as to have the grips for the right and left hand aligned with one another, or far apart or intermediate positions. By having selected positions, the driver is able to exercise different aspects of his arm muscles. For stability, the preferred position is where the grips are aligned as shown in Figure 4.
[0013] The brakes and shifters can be mounted near the grips of the hand wheel so as to be readily accessible to the driver. Shifting is accomplished by stopping the forward motion of the handle, shifting the gear, rotating back to operate the derailleur, and then driving.
Figure 1 is a right side view of an embodiment of this invention.
Figure 2 is a left side upper front view of the embodiment of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an upper three-quarter front view with cover removed of the embodiment of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is an upper front slight perspective, partial view with cover removed of the embodiment of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is an enlarged right side view of the front of the embodiment of Figure 1.
Figure 6 is a right side view of the upper front of another embodiment of this invention.
Figure 7 is a front right three-quarter view of the embodiment of Figure 6.
Figure 8 is a left rear three-quarter view of the embodiment of Figure 6.
[0014] In Figures 1 through 5 of the drawings, the bicycle 10 has a frame 11 to which are attached a front wheel 12 and a rear wheel 13. Frame 11 has a fork 11a and a socket 11b into which handlebars are inserted in a conventional bicycle. Front wheel 12 is attached to fork 11a by hub 12a and has a sprocket 12b. Rear wheel 13 has a hub 13a and sprocket 13b. Seat 18 is mounted on the frame 11. Attached to the frame 11 are foot pedals 14 with associated gearing 15. A rear chain 16 connects gearing 15 with the rear derailleur 17 and foot pedals 14.
[0015] On the front of the frame 11 is an adjustable frame extension 20 to which are attached a pair of plates 19a and 19b which comprise the upper support 19. Support 19 can be adjusted by pivoting on pivot 19d until the desired position is obtained and then fixing that position by inserting a threaded bolt into the hole 19c which aligns with an upper hole in the extension 20.
[0016] Support 19 has in its upper portion a hub 21 to which are attached handles 22a comprising perpendicular arms 22 and handles 23 and which are connected to the axle of the gear wheel 24. Gear wheel 24 has spokes 25 and drives a chain 29 which is attached to the set of gears 30 which includes increasing size gears which in turn are selectively connected to a derailleur 32 and the sprocket 12b mounted on the hub 12a of the front wheel.
[0017] Hand control 33 for cable 34 to derailleur 32 permits the driver of the bicycle to shift the chain 31 to the selected one of the varying size available gears in gear set 30. Thus hand motion on handles 23 can be at a selected speed to drive the front wheel. The brake control 35 mounted on one grip 23 connects cable 28 to the front wheel brake. The driver operates the rear wheel of the bicycle in a conventional manner having a brake control 36 mounted on the other grip 23 and rear wheel shifter 26 positioned on the upper support. Covers 37 and 38 are provided to protect the user from the mechanical parts of the wheel 24 and associated chain 29.
[0018] Figures 6 through 8 of the drawings, illustrate a different embodiment of the upper support and hand wheel, the frame, seat, and wheels being the same as in Figure 1.
[0019] Upper support 119 is pivotally connected at 119b to adjustable frame extension 120 and is fixed into desired tilt by a bolt through a selected orifice 119a into the upper portion of the extension 120. One portion of support 119 has a hub 121 connected to a plate 138. A shaft and bearing extend through hub 121, connecting to arms 122 and handles 123 which drive gear wheel 124 on which chain 129 runs. Chain 129 operates said set of gears 130. Said set of gears 130 has gears selected by derailleur 132 to connect chain 131 with the front wheel drive gear 12a.
[0020] The gear wheel 124 has a plate 142 with spaced teeth 142a alternating with recesses 141a and an orifice 141. Bolt 140 is adapted to detachably extend through orifice 141 so as to engage a selected recess 141a. When so engaged the gear wheel 124 and handles are locked, as for example, in the position shown in Figure 7. In such locked position, the handles 123 act as regular fixed handlebars, and the front wheel drive is rendered inactive.
[0021] Operation of the gear wheel by arms 122 and handles 123 causes 129 to drive the said set of gears 130. Operation of the derailleur 132 to change the gear for the front wheel driving chain 131 is accomplished by control 134a connected to the derailleur 132 by cable 134. The brake controls 135 and 136 for the front and rear wheels are mounted on separate handles 123.
(a) an upper support (19; 119) attached to the upper front of the frame (11);
(b) a hand wheel (24; 124) mounted on the upper support (19; 119);
(c) a handle (23; 123) arranged to drive the hand wheel (24; 124) and manually actuable by the driver;
(d) a first gear (30; 130) mounted on the upper support (19; 119);
(e) a first transmission member (29; 129) connecting the hand wheel (24; 124) and the first gear (30; 130), whereby rotation of the hand wheel (24; 124) causes rotation of the first gear (30; 130);
(f) a second gear (12b) axially mounted on the front wheel (12); and
(g) a second transmission device (31; 131) connecting the second gear (12b) to the first gear (30; 130) so that the second gear (12b) can be rotated by the handle (23; 123).
(a) an upper support (19; 119) mounted on the socket (11b);
(b) a first gear (24; 124) mounted on the upper support (19; 119);
(c) first and second handle arms (22; 122) attached to the first gear (24; 124) for rotating this gear, and first and second handles (23; 123) rotatably mounted on the first and second handle arms (22; 122) respectively, such that the handles (23; 123) are rotatable independently of the first gear (24: 124);
(d) finger-actuated brake levers (35, 36; 135, 136) and brake cables (28; 128) mounted on outside surfaces of the handles (23; 123), the brake cables (28; 128) extending outwardly from said handles (23; 123) to provide for 360 degrees of handle rotation so that brake cable entanglement is avoided;
(e) a plurality of second gears (30; 130) of differing sizes mounted on the upper support (19; 119);
(f) a derailleur (32; 132) on the upper support (19; 119) forward of the second gears (30; 130);
(g) a first transmission member (29; 129) connecting the first gear (24; 124) and the second gears (30; 130), whereby rotation of the first gear (24; 124) causes rotation of the second gears (30; 130);
(h) a third gear (12b) axially mounted on the front wheel (12); and
(i) a second transmission device (31; 131) connecting the third gear (12b), the derailleur (32; 132) and the second gears (30; 130).
(a) a mounting section adapted to be connected to an upper front portion of a bicycle frame where conventional handlebars are ordinarily attached;
(b) a socket attachment section adapted to be attached to a socket for attaching handlebars;
(c) an axle attachment section adapted for attaching an axle to the upper support;
(d) a gear mounting section adapted for attachment of a plurality of gears to the upper support; and
(e) a locking device attachment section adapted for attachment of a locking device.
(a) a gear wheel (24; 124) mounted on an upper front portion of the frame at the place where conventional handlebars are located, and having handles (122; 123) mounted thereon;
(b) a plurality of differently sized gears (30; 130) mounted on the upper front portion of the frame forward of the gear wheel (24; 124), the plurality of gears (30; 130) being driven from the gear wheel by a first transmission device (29; 129);
(c) a hub gear (12b) axially mounted on the hub of the front wheel (12), said hub gear (12b) being driven from the plurality of gears (30; 130) by a second transmission device (31; 131); and
(d) a derailleur (32; 132) for engaging the second transmission device (31; 131) with any selected one of the plurality of gears (30; 130), this derailleur (32; 132) being located forward of the plurality of gears (30; 130) and mounted upon the upper front portion of the frame (11).